


Colorful World

by imayoshis



Category: Naruto
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Anbu Hatake Kakashi, Anbu Yamato | Tenzou, First Meetings, Fluff, M/M, Soulmates, cheesy cheese
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-04
Updated: 2018-07-17
Packaged: 2019-06-05 10:26:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15168698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imayoshis/pseuds/imayoshis
Summary: He looks out towards the sky, gray. He has always been told the sky is a beautiful blue, but you only know if you meet your soul mate. You get glimpses of color when you meet your soul mate but the color stays when you fall in love. He remembered one time that Obito said the sky is blue, and Rin had agreed. It bothered him how sure they were back then. Even Minato-Sensei said it was a light blue.The sky was gray. The sky is gray, and always will be. How did Obito and Rin even know? Minato-Sensei was married, so it made sense for him to know, but it angered him that the other two could see color. Maybe those two were soul mates, and just kept it a secret. It only made sense the way they talked to each other.





	1. Blue Sky

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, I came across a neat soulmate AU prompt where you can only see in monochrome til the day you meet your soulmate, so I decided to try it out.

_“Come and work under me. What do you say?”_

Danzō’s words echo in Kakashi’s head. He stares at the ceiling while lying in his bed on the floor. He shifts his weight to his side with his thoughts weighing heavily on his mind. Sleep almost seemed impossible by this time. 

_“…and drove Obito and Rin to their deaths.”_

He tightens his hands into fists feeling anger build.

_“Isn’t that why Lord Fourth lost his life?”_

He did not want to blame Lord Third for his losses, but to put that guilt toward someone else sounded so good. Kakashi did not want to believe he was at fault for their deaths, but it did not feel quite right to accuse the Third for it either. He knew Danzō was playing with his emotions. It was obvious. Painfully obvious. Why was it working?

He glances at his clock on the floor reading 1:36AM. He rolls over onto his back, making up his mind.

“I’ll see what he wants.”

 ———

Kakashi makes his way to where Danzō had told him to go. He looks out towards the sky, gray. He has always been told the sky is a beautiful blue, but you only know if you meet your soul mate. You get glimpses of color when you meet your soul mate but the color stays when you fall in love. He remembered one time that Obito said the sky is blue, and Rin had agreed. It bothered him how sure they were back then. Even Minato-Sensei said it was a light blue. 

The sky was gray. The sky is gray, and always will be. How did Obito and Rin even know? Minato-Sensei was married, so it made sense for him to know, but it angered him that the other two could see color. Maybe those two were soul mates, and just kept it a secret. It only made sense the way they talked to each other.

Kakashi long accepted seeing color was just a pleasure he will never experience, and to be frank, he was okay with it. Even now, he is okay with it. After everything he has gone through, he did not believe he even needed to. The world looked fine in monochrome.

He shakes his head pushing those thoughts away. He had his own mission to do, and that was to report to Danzō. He shoves on, making his way downward. He jumps from pipe to pipe, and he sees a bridge. He quickly concludes that is where Danzō wanted him to go. He jumps further down, the light from the sun soon disappears the deeper he goes down. Kakashi has a sudden unease as if someone was watching him, but he tries to ignore it. If someone is watching, they will show themselves eventually.

He jumps off the wall, and wooden beams start flying towards him at a frightening rate. He immediately jumps out of the way and, “Wood Style!?” escapes his lips. He has never seen such a thing, so coming across this was more alarming than he would like to admit.

A boy wearing a mask similar to Anbu runs out on the bridge, clapping his hands together. Kakashi watches the boy’s movements, readying himself for whatever was coming next. The boy swings his right arm out and shouts, “Wood Style! Giant Forest Jutsu!” More wooden beams come flying out of his arm, going straight towards Kakashi. He leaps off the wall, forming hand signs for Chidori. He swings his hand back to prepare for his attack.

“Halt!” Danzō’s voice booms in the area, and the wooden beams dissipate from the boy’s arms. They go flying past Kakashi, and he drops down onto the bridge. “I called him.”

Kakashi takes a brief look at him now that they stood next to each other. The mask looked similar to that of a cat, but the thing that caught his attention was the color. The markings were not any type of shade of gray. He did not know the colors, but they were something he has never seen before. He then notices the boy’s hair.

_‘What color is that?’_

“Yes, sir!” The boy says while bowing.

“Thank you for coming.” Danzō smiles. Kakashi takes this as the best time to hand over the scroll he planned to deliver. He kneels down and holds it out above his head. Danzō takes the scroll and reads it. “The time has come. Good work, Kakashi.”

——— 

For days, that boy never left Kakashi’s head. The world returned back to gray not too soon after his departure from Danzō’s hideout, but he knew what he saw. There was definitely color even if it lasted for only a few minutes. He had so many questions all about this person. How did he have wood style? Where did he come from? Why is he working for Danzō? Why was he able to see color when he met him? Is he Kakashi’s soul mate?

These questions clouded his mind most nights when he could not bring himself to sleep. His nightmares still haunt him so much that he rather think about this stranger at times. But the more he dwelled on this boy, the longing to know more ate at him. He needed more answers before it drove him insane.

Kakashi breaks into Lord Third’s records, and skims through books that revolved around Hashirama, the First Hokage. The only existing man who can use wood style, but that does not explain what he saw. It did not explain who he saw. He finds an envelope labeled, ‘Top Secret’. His heart races with every second debating on what he should do. Put it down and never know the identity of this person or get everything he desired to know right now. No, he was his soul mate, he had to know. There was no other option. He opens it hastily, this must have the answers. His heart drops, it was empty.

“Where are the contents?” He asks quietly to himself.

“Is this what you are looking for?” Hiruzen throws a stack of papers onto the table in front of Kakashi. The Third Hokage explains to Kakashi why the papers in that envelope are Top Secret. The experimentation of Hashirama’s cells caused many deaths, but what stuck out was the kidnappings of sixty infants. If the first infant who was kidnapped survived, then he would be ten years old now. The age that Kakashi assumes what that boy is.

——— 

Kakashi is chosen as one of the Anbu to guard Hiruzen to the Feudal Lord to retake his title as Third Hokage. He plays the role as transforming into Lord Third, so if someone were to attack, they won’t attack the real one. 

Soon into the mission they are already ambushed by foreign ninja. A young ninja jumps down in front of Kakashi who still appeared as the Third. The ninja puts their hands together and shouts, “Wood Style Jutsu!” Sharpened wooden beams zoom forward piercing Kakashi. 

Luckily, Kakashi saw through the attack and used a Substitution. He reveals himself, cancelling his Transformation Jutsu. He quickly puts two and two together that this foreign ninja is that boy from before. 

“Wood Style! Giant Forest Jutsu!” The familiar beams grow towards him, but Kakashi knows it is coming this time. 

“Chidori!” He activates his own jutsu, breaking through the wood and knocks the boy over. He holds his hand over the kid’s face menacingly. He had questions swimming through his head clouding his judgment. If he can’t get all his answers from the Hokage, he might as well start asking the child himself. “You… Where did you learn the Wood Style?” He stares into the eyes of the mask, blank and unreadable. If the boy was afraid, he did not show it, nor did he answer any questions. “I didn’t expect an answer anyway…” 

He stands back up, eyeing his enemy lying on the ground. The marks on the mask had a different color, and he looks down at the outfit. These colors are definitely not any shade of gray. The outfit had a similar color to the grass, and Kakashi concludes that it must be green. He recalls Obito saying plants, grass, and the forests are green. 

_‘Not exactly a pretty color…’_

Suddenly, his resolve to kill this ninja dissolves. This boy, there was no denying it, is his soul mate. He can’t kill him. He won’t.

“Leave. Quickly! That jutsu of yours will be critical for the Hidden Leaf Village one day.” Kakashi urges the child to run, and he does just that. He watches him escape as his chidori fades. He lets out a sigh and looks up towards the sky.

_‘Is this the blue that Obito, Rin, and Minato Sensei saw?’_

 ———

Time passed since Kakashi had last seen the wood user and has pledged his loyalty to the Third Hokage. The world returned to its black and white state, and more or less back to normal. He is currently on a mission to track down Orochimaru and has found an opening in a tree. Curiosity got the best of him, assuming that Orochimaru might be hiding here. He enters the hole and he quickly notices a strange mist. Suddenly, he is being attacked by people who seem to form and disappear with the mist. 

A man who seems to be their leader turns into a gaseous form and enters Kakashi. Panic overwhelms him and he hits the ground. The man was speaking to him, but he could not hear anything. He is enveloped in pain coursing throughout his entire body. It was like every muscle, every organ, every cell in his body was screaming in anguish all at once. He tries to scream and he scrambles gripping at his chest. The pain was unbearable, and it felt never ending. He flails on the ground and claws at his face.

 _‘Stop!’_ He screams in his head, but the man continues to oxidize his body. _‘Am I going to die?!’_ He hears a small voice in the distance, but he could not process what was said. The pain was too much to focus on anything else. 

Suddenly, everything goes black. His eyes dart around and clench shut, his body screaming all over again. Then he feels a sensation of being crushed, and he is stuck holding his head. He opens his mouth, screaming in agony. He just wanted everything to stop. He can’t take anymore. Suddenly, it stopped. The pain was gone, and he was no longer being crushed. 

He looks up to see a child. He looked serious, frowning deeply at the man who caused Kakashi so much suffering moments ago. Then it clicked, it was _him_.

“Wood Style…! He’s… the Foundation…” And the world goes black.

——— 

He wakes being held up by his arms, and he sees the wood user stand in front of him. “Looks like you’re awake. I’m going to ask you some questions now.” 

“Where are we? Why are you here?”

“I’m the one asking the questions.” The kid smiles for a second and then claps his hands together. “Wood style!” The wood around Kakashi’s wrists and ankles tighten and stretch his arms further out. He lets out a groan, aching all over. “How did you find this place?”

“I found it by chance… Of all the luck.” Kakashi winces as his arms continue to be stretched.

“How much does the Leaf know about Lord Orochimaru?” The wood tightens more, and Kakashi screams. “Fine, I’m very patient. In time, you’ll talk.” After he finishes that sentence, the restraints release, lowering him close to the ground. 

_‘Wait, is he saving me?’_

“Sorry. That was our only option.” The boy apologizes, and Kakashi stares in shock. He did not understand the situation at all. Why was he helping him? It did not make sense to him. They quickly exchange information on why they are both there and realize for the time being they are allies. Kakashi takes in his ally’s features, finally seeing his face for the first time. He wore an unmarked happuri that set above his dark almond shaped eyes. His hair falls just above his shoulders, and Kakashi now knows the color is brown. It was hard to make out most colors since they were in darkness, but he knew they were there. His world is no longer swallowed in gray scale, but a wide variety of color. 

Almost right after they talk, the people who could turn into gas forms surround them. They were caught, and Kakashi knew the odds for them did not look good. He does not even listen to what the people are even saying as he tries to conjure some type of escape route as fast as possible. He hears the man call the kid ‘Kinoe’, and he gathers that must be the wood user’s name. Kinoe and him jump together having their backs to each other, ready to fight. There was no other way out.

“Tenzō! I won’t let you… touch Tenzō!” A girl forms in front of Kinoe with her arms spread out, protecting him. 

“Tenzō?” Kakashi mutters, confused about the different name. The girl forms into a brightly colored tornado around the two boys.

“Tenzō!” She shouts, and Kinoe grabs Kakashi’s hand. His eyes widen as his vision changes. Everything had so much more detail, and suddenly, he knew the names to all the colors he was seeing. They were brighter than before, and until now, he did not know everything he saw was faded. This was different. It was exhilarating. 

They both go flying into the air and whisked away into a different part of the large tree. Kakashi follows Kinoe and this unknown girl through small tunnels of the tree. They crawl for awhile while the two ahead of him chat. He was not really paying attention still overwhelmed by this new spectrum of color that he is able to see. He almost worried if it might be too much once they were no longer shrouded in darkness. 

The two in front of him stop abruptly, and Kakashi looks ahead, wondering why they are not moving. He blinks and suddenly Kinoe and the girl turn to mist and fly away. He sighs. “And I get left behind here?” This is honestly an event in his life that left him in a bad mood quicker than most, but he was not completely bothered being alone. His mind was not really focusing on Kinoe and the girl anyway, but boy, is he mad that he is completely and utterly lost.

——— 

He has been crawling around this tree for what felt like ages, and he was getting angrier by the second. He grumbles quietly to himself. “Of course, they leave me here. It’s not like I wanted to get out of here or anything.” He takes a right and climbs up slightly. “This is so stupid. How did I end up here? Fate? Soul mates? All stupid.”

He pauses for a moment wondering if he has been here before. “I haven’t gone in a circle, right?” He looks around and shakes his head. “No, just keep going up… Maybe there’s an opening somewhere.” He finds another opening upward and shoves himself through. The space feels more cramped, and he hopes this won’t lead to a dead end.

“Why is my soul mate a dumb kid? Obito would be laughing at me if he ever found out. It’s as if I can hear him right now. Why couldn’t it have been someone else? Maybe my age?” He whines quietly to himself as he continues to try to find an exit. He notices a light, and he starts crawling faster. He stumbles out and sees the exit over to his right. “I’m finally out! I thought climbing straight up would do it, but… Damn it. I have had nothing but bad luck today.” 

——— 

“I was a test subject too. My body was poked and prodded and observed. It was painful, and I could hardly bear it. Many of my friends died. When you’re alone, all you think about is dying. But when there are two of you… all you think about is surviving.” Kakashi hears Kinoe mumble below him. He was hiding in the tree above the two kids eavesdropping. He did not really expect this to be something brought up though. He almost felt guilty for listening, but somehow it made sense why Kinoe was his soul mate. He suffered just like Kakashi and lost a lot. It was as if Fate wanted them to meet just because they were both miserable.

“Shall we go somewhere… together?” The girl asks Kinoe, and Kakashi feels a pang of anger. Last thing he wanted was those two to run off _again_. He did not want to spend his entire day running after children, even if one of them happens to be his soul mate.

“You got to be joking.” He slips out, irritation getting the best of him. His cover is blown, so he jumps down, revealing himself. They are not running away again. He puts in his best effort to convince them to go back to the village, and for a moment, he believes this might be a success.

“My mission is… as you expected, Kakashi. It is to allow Orochimaru to get away.” Kinoe mutters.

“What!?” Before he can even turn around, Kinoe grabs the girl and runs. “Kinoe!”

“I am Tenzō!” 

“Fuck!” Kakashi yells, angry all over again. “Tenzō? What!?”

——— 

“Yukimi!” Tenzō shouts, slamming his hands together. Wood starts to build from the ground trying to catch the girl who floated away in a gaseous state. Kakashi watches the boy’s jutsu climb up above them unaware of what to do. He honestly had no idea how his day unraveled to this point. He started his day with his only worry being Orochimaru, but now, he teamed up with the wood user kid to save the girl he chased around all day. Sadly, this girl was dying, and he looks over at Kinoe, no, Tenzō desperately trying to stop her from floating away.

Suddenly, he felt something, as if he could feel fear and hopelessness, but he had no idea why. His chest tightens, and his body stiffens. 

_‘What the hell is this?’_

“Yukimi!” Tenzō cries out as his jutsu comes to a halt. Kakashi quickly concludes that must have been his limit. They both stare up at the wooden pillars, and for a moment, both of their hearts break at the same time. 

Kakashi looks down to see a mist gather around their feet then go up the wooden panels. It starts to take a new form, and then it blossoms, transforming a great beautiful tree. It began to glow a bright gold, illuminating the cave they stood in. He is in awe; the sight is absolutely amazing. Nothing like he has ever seen before. He was not even quite sure if the colors are what made it so amazing, or just the mere fact that it happened.

The tree opens up, dragging his attention away from the scene. Yukimi was inside the tree, perfectly fine and untouched. He feels relief wash over him, and he hears Tenzō let out a sigh. 

_‘He must be at ease as well.’_

——— 

“I didn’t encounter Orochimaru. Nor did I encounter a strange clan. Nor someone from the Foundation.” Kakashi states and turns his back to the two kids. They stood outside in the forest at a cross roads area that split off in three directions. He takes this chance to leave before they can say anything. He knew once he gets too far, everything will fade back to gray, but that was okay. He was okay walking away from Tenzō because something in him told him they will meet again. For the moment, he just wanted to enjoy what he could see. 

He looks around taking in everything, the greens and browns surrounding him was amazing. At first sight, he did not really like the color green, but now it reminds him of Tenzō. It gave him a sense of being whole, a familiarity that will keep him going. He knew this feeling was not love, not yet, but maybe one day, when they meet again, life will be better for them. 

“Kakashi-san!” Tenzō shouts, running after him. “Wait!” Kakashi stops and turns around to face him. 

“What is it?” He asks.

“You see them too, right? …The colors?” He asks breathlessly from running. Kakashi’s eyes widen, realization dawning on him. He never thought about if Tenzō could see everything as well. He was so enraptured by the fact that he had the ability to see color like his old team that he forgot that Tenzō can see it too. 

“Yes,” He answers him, unsure of what to say from there.

“Then, I will see you again?” 

Kakashi slowly nods in response thoughtlessly. Tenzō smiles and turns around and runs off. He watches the younger boy leave for a few seconds, and slowly looks up towards the sky, smiling. 

“Rin, Obito, Minato Sensei, the sky is beautiful.”


	2. Yellow Sun

Kakashi rests his elbow on the wooden table at the dango shop spacing out. Gai is talking about something that seems very important to him, but Kakashi had stopped listening at some point. His mind has already been elsewhere all day, so he is not even quite sure why he had agreed to sit down with Gai. He has had an off feeling all day but could not place why or even really explain it. Kinoe’s face flashes through his mind and he is struck with a pang of sadness. He wonders what that boy is doing fairly often but tries to ignore those thoughts. He knows they will meet again, but he really hates the wait. He can be patient at times, but he wishes life will just hurry up so they can see each other again. 

“Gai… have you met your soulmate?” Kakashi is met with wide eyes as the other male hastily chews his dango. It was a dumb question, and he already knows his friend will reply with ‘no’. He wanted to ask though, just in case. Gai swallows his food in a big gulp and coughs from eating just a tad too fast.

“Why? Have you?” He brings his hand up into a fist and makes a triumphant pose. “Of course, my dear rival would meet his soul mate before me.” He slams his fist onto the table causing the plate in front of him to bounce. “Who is it? What do they look like? Is it amazing? Color? It must be.”

“I will take that as a ‘no’?” Kakashi mutters somewhat disappointed. 

“N-No, have you not either?” 

“I did… three years ago.” He lowers his voice down to a whisper. The years have felt fast, but unbelievably long. He misses Kinoe. He misses him a lot. He is not even quite sure why. Is it because he just simply cared? Or is it because they are soul mates, and he is supposed to feel this way?

“Three years ago? Wait, so have you been in a secret relationship this entire time?” Gai raises an eyebrow and his expression changes for a second. Kakashi could not make out what his friend is exactly feeling, but he could tell he is hurt at least. 

“No, I met him on a mission, but never saw him since. He is a few years younger than me, so he should be thirteen now.” He explains hoping Gai won’t be so hurt now knowing that he has not stayed in touch with his soul mate.

“Amazing! So, does that mean you can see in color now?? What color is my outfit!?” Gai beams. He stands up and gestures down at his clothes. He is completely ecstatic for this news. Kakashi frowns, not having an answer to his friend’s questions. The jumpsuit is gray, but he would be lying if he said he did not want to know the actual color as well.

“Uh, I see in color when I am around him, but I have not seen him in years. I haven’t seen color since as well.”

“Why did you two not stay together? Isn’t that what soulmates do?” Gai plops back down on the wooden bench that he nearly knocked over just moments ago with his excitement. “Is it because your soulmate is so young?” Kakashi sighs. That is one reason, but there are a lot more. He has listed them time and time again just to know if it is worth keeping away from Kinoe, and every single time, it’s clear that he needs to wait. He loathes it. He wants to get to know him more. He knows Kinoe would understand his pain more than anyone, and he wants that more than anything. He craves someone who relates to him. But, he also wants to support Kinoe knowing that he had been a test subject of Orochimaru. He truly wishes things were different, or if the years until they meet can go faster. 

“I can’t tell you, Gai.” He lowers his gaze to the wooden table almost wishing he could tell Gai everything just so all that is going on in his head can be freed. He can’t though. Him meeting a boy from the Foundation who is a wood user was a secret he vowed to keep for Kinoe’s sake.

“Is it hard to be away from them? I have heard once you meet them, its practically impossible to stay away.” 

“What? What do you mean?” He is looking back at Gai again.

“Well, meeting your soulmate… it’s similar to a drug from what people say. You meet them once, and you will never forget them. It’s like you crave being with them.”

“Is it bad to stay away from them for too long?” Kakashi asks not hiding any ounce of worry in his voice. He knows he did not know much about soulmates, because he really did not care enough to pay attention. But now, what if it was bad to leave Kinoe? Would it hurt him? Would it kill him?

“No, I don’t think so. You just think about them a lot. Sometimes people don’t like that. Do you think about him a lot?”

“I… mmm,” He hesitates for a moment. He does think about Kinoe a lot, but he thinks about a lot of people all the time. He never questioned it before. “Yes.”

“Well, I hope you two cross paths again. I too will look for my soulmate. Make it a competition on who falls in love first!” Gai jumps onto the table and points into the air. “I will not lose!” 

“Young man, get down from there!” The old woman who works at the dango shop shouts, and Gai sheepishly climbs down off the table. Kakashi sighs for what seems the millionth time today. He did not want to force himself to fall in love with Kinoe. Things will fall into the right place eventually, right?

——— 

The Third notified Kakashi of an abandoned hide out that had belonged to Orochimaru and wanted to send him specifically to go investigate. He accepted the mission unquestioningly and had already set out and found the location of where he needed to go. He jumps down into a large hole into the ground and enters a cave. He is greeted by two doors sealed shut, and he releases the seal. His eyes widen as releasing the seal causes a large explosion to erupt inside the cave. A wooden wall comes flying out of the ground blocking Kakashi from the explosion. He swings his head back and he sees a familiar Anbu mask. No doubt about it. He knew exactly who it was who saved him.

“Is that you, Kinoe!?” Kinoe stands from behind some rocks revealing himself. His hair fell past his shoulders and he is clearly taller. Kakashi bit his lip. He had to restrain his joy of seeing Kinoe again, reminding himself he is still on an important mission. He looks around noticing the cave now had color to it even if it is dark. He can see the small tint of green and red on the boy’s mask. He missed this.

_‘It’s been so long.’_

“It’s been awhile, Kakashi-san.” They walk out into the clearing towards the open doors, but Kakashi stops and turns toward the other Anbu.

“What are you doing here?”

“I’m on a mission.”

“As my back-up? No, that isn’t it. Did Lord Danzo dispatch a Foundation shinobi because he’s interested in Orochimaru’s research facility?” Kakashi asks, hoping him and Kinoe can work together. Maybe talk again, but that sounded like a pipe dream considering they are on a mission. Kinoe looks down, and Kakashi feels guilt wash over him. 

_‘Why do I suddenly feel so guilty? I have no reason… does Kinoe feel that way?’_

“Foundation shinobi never discuss their mission… is that it?” He crosses his arms, but the guilt does not leave him. He tries to hide it and smiles. “No matter. You did help me out there.”

“We can’t have you burned to a crisp.” 

The guilt he had before eases away, and he wonders if it really was what Kinoe was feeling. He worried a little what that could mean, but his longing to be around the boy overshadowed it. He really did want to catch up and get to know him better. Maybe teaming up can work for him. He scratches the back of his head awkwardly, debating on if he should ask if they can work together, but he suddenly feels really nervous.

“Do you want to investigate what’s inside together?” He drops his arm to his hip. “Whatever we find, we’ll share the intel with each other.” Kinoe brings his hand up to his chin, openly considering the question. “What’s wrong? We may work in different divisions, but we’re Leaf shinobi. Let’s cooperate.”

“Yes… Who knows if a demon or a snake will appear? Let’s go together.” Kinoe finally answers. 

“Right.” Kakashi replies, hiding his excitement that he gets to spend this time with Kinoe.

———  

They stand away from each other, both preparing to attack or defend. Kakashi could not even piece together why they are fighting. Kinoe wants him dead, that is all he understood. His chest burns, and the colors in the world have all faded. Everything is happening all at once, his world shattering around him. He did not love this boy, but this sensation is nothing like he ever felt before. He only assumes this must be a punishment for all that he has done in his life. He does not deserve to know Kinoe. He does not deserve to know his soulmate.

“Then why did you kill her?!”

“What?!”

“Why did you kill Rin Nohara!?” 

Everything in the room freezes as her face flashes through Kakashi’s mind. That face that haunts him in his nightmares. That face that haunts him every single time he closes his eyes. Everything around him starts moving in slow motion, and half of him wants to drop to his knees. He can’t remember her, not now. Wooden beams go flying towards him, and he tries to protect himself. They scrape against him painfully as his focus continues to shatter. Her face won’t leave his mind. His hand in her chest. The pain.

“Why did you kill her?! Why did you kill her?! You killed her because it was your mission!” Kinoe screams, and something snaps in Kakashi’s brain. Rage swallowing him whole. Logic left his head. He stopped caring who was speaking to him. It no longer mattered. All he feels is hatred. Wood erupts from the ground, capturing him, but within seconds, all of it is destroyed by his Chidori. 

“Don’t speak about Rin! As part of my Anbu missions, I’ve had to deal with Rogue ninja and traitors of the Hidden Leaf. So, I can’t help it if I’m called Friend Killer Kakashi…But… Rin was…” Kakashi mutters and starts running at Kinoe. He wants to kill him for even uttering her name. What he said, he could not forgive that. “I didn’t want to kill her!”

He crashes into the younger boy, holding his hand above him. His heart still racing so fast it could possibly beat straight out of his chest at any moment. He feels himself falter slightly as he looks down at Kinoe. He can’t do it. No matter how angry he is, he could not move his hand. It is as if something is holding them still, not allowing either of them to budge.

“I couldn’t protect my friend. That’s why Rin died… from this Chidori.”

“Are you going to… kill me?” Kinoe asks, his voice still never hesitating. Kakashi dislikes how confident this boy is. As if nothing shook him to his core. He could not relate to this kid, and at the moment, he is certain he hates him. Fate is wrong. Kinoe cannot be his soulmate.

“Are you a friend of the Hidden Leaf? Or are you a traitor?”

“I’m not a traitor.”

“Then what are you?”

“I am… Kinoe of the Foundation.”

“What happened to you? Why all of a sudden are you okay with killing me?” His chidori fades and he drops his arm to his side. His anger dissipating just as quickly as it came. “We are soulmates… how can you?”

“Have you noticed it? Everything is gray again.” The boy turns his head away to no longer face Kakashi. 

“I noticed.” He caught when color left his vision immediately but knowing Kinoe no longer saw color as well made his chest ache.

“I stopped seeing color when I decided I had to complete my mission.” He pauses letting silence grow between them. “Seems Fate was not happy with me.”

“You can still not do it. You can just say you failed your mission.” Kinoe shakes his head. “Why? What are you going to do then?”

“Nothing.” This answer did not satisfy Kakashi in the slightest. He honestly wishes the boy never had to do this mission in the first place. He would have been okay waiting longer to see him again if it meant they were together on better circumstances. He bites his lip contemplating all of the options they had. Send Kinoe back making him fail his mission, let him complete his mission, or capture him. Sending Kinoe back will most likely lead to more of Danzo’s Anbu to come after him and Kakashi might not be so successful next time around, so that is clearly not a good option. Letting Kinoe kill him is barely even a thought, and he decides to skip it entirely and choose the latter.

“Then I’ll take you into custody and turn you over to Lord Hokage.”

“Do whatever… you please.”

——— 

Kakashi’s eyes snap open and he is engulfed in darkness. He jumps up looking around. It takes him a few seconds to remember where he is, but the memories come flooding back. He had tried to capture Kinoe, but they were attacked by one of Orochimaru’s experiments that looked strikingly like a giant snake. He defeated it, he was sure of it. He even saved Kinoe, but Kinoe is gone. Then it hit him, the poison gas from the snake. He must have been knocked out by it. He should have died but he didn’t. He stands in the cave completely alive. 

Then something on the wall catches his eye, a torn piece of paper held up by a kunai. He quickly rips it off the wall to read it. “To Kakashi, I’ve become confused about this mission where I’m supposed to kill a friend. So, I’m going to abandon this mission, and I will report to Lord Danzo that I failed. Please take care.” 

His heart plummets to his feet and he is suddenly overwhelmed with worry. He immediately feels panic rise within him at the thought of Kinoe going back to report he had failed. His mind already jumping to the worst possible outcomes. He has no idea how much the boy could be punished for letting him live, but he has a strong urge to stop anything from happening to Kinoe. 

He quickly gathers his resolve to report to the Third Hokage, praying that can protect Kinoe. He jumps out of the hide out and is plunged into color. The sun is a blinding yellow and the sky feels like it is swallowing him whole. This delicate blue is too breathtaking and he drops to his knees onto the grass. His mind spins as the world above him illuminates the earthly green below him. It is excruciatingly captivating, but he also cannot stop the feeling of drowning. He knows he is breathing, but his thoughts are jarring. He digs his fingers into the grass, pushing dirt up into his nails. This grounds him long enough to remind him what he needs to do. He needs to help Kinoe. 

He pushes himself up and heads straight to the Hokage. Everything around him immersed in color throws him off slightly, almost making him forget where he is even trying to go or how to get there. The village has a warm accent as the sky changes to a purplish-orange from the setting sun. He pushes on, recognizing a somewhat domed shaped building that now has a vivid red color. He makes his way through the building and up the winding halls, almost tripping a few times. 

Yugao is chasing after him now, and he glances back catching a glimpse of purple he has never seen before. He always assumed her hair was brown so seeing the real color caught him off guard. For a moment, it made him question if the girl really is Yugao, but the voice confirms it is her.

“Kakashi Senpai, we have to tend to your wounds.” She calls after him, but he keeps running. 

“I must report in first!” He yells back not willing to slow down. He pushes the double doors open to where the Third is and he stumbles forward onto the tile. The room is dim but has a clear red hue to it. Kakashi presses his hand onto the ground hoping this could stop the color from swimming around him, but his mind just continues to absorb everything all at once.

“What’s the matter?” The Third Hokage asks, Kakashi clearly catching his attention immediately.

“Lord Third… Regarding the Foundation’s Wood Style user… He targeted me. Lord Danzō ordered it. But he dropped his mission midway and saved my life. He then returned to the village. But who knows what’s happened to him by now. Please go to Lord Danzō and save Kinoe.” He explains, hoping the man will help. The Hokage sighs, and Kakashi feels his heart start to race. He cannot take ‘no’ as an answer. If he doesn’t get help, he will go save Kinoe himself. “Lord Third!”

“It’s agreed upon that I don’t interfere with the Foundation. However, that is not possible in this case.” He pauses to pick up his brush. He begins writing, driving Kakashi insane with how slow time is going. At what feels like an eternity later, the Hokage looks back towards them. “Yugao.”

“Sir!”

“Take this missive to Foundation Headquarters. It’s an order from the Hokage. Summon Danzō here immediately.” He holds out an envelope towards Yugao.

“Yes, sir!” She quickly takes her leave and the Third orders Kakashi to go to the infirmary. He accepts this, but the second he’s out the door, he is running after Yugao. He can treat his wounds later. He only cares about Kinoe now, and he is certain that is the only thing keeping his legs moving. He jumps from rooftop to rooftop, taking in the orange accents of the shingles and the dark purple shadows that detailed every crevice to every building. 

He catches up to Yugao within minutes, and they both continue on their way to Danzō. Nothing can stop Kakashi now, not even that man or the Hokage. Fate is his companion now, and he is going to use it to his advantage. He must protect Kinoe and this new world he has been given. He will save his soulmate if it is the last thing he does.

——— 

He hears his feet click against the ground as he sprints down different halls all aligned with different doors. His lungs are screaming in agony, but his heart did not allow him to stop moving. Adrenaline coursing through his veins, shoving him further into Foundation headquarters. He knows that this is absolutely the worst decision he has ever made in his life causing panic to bubble in his stomach. It is too late to turn back, he had already broke in. There is absolutely no turning back. 

He skids to a stop in front of the door that is hiding Kinoe away. He only knows this by using his sharingan on the Anbu at the front, and he nearly pats himself on the back for thinking of doing that. Now that he made it this far, he is sure if he had not done what he did, it would have been impossible to find this room. He forces the door open and he sees the boy strapped to a chair. He blinks and he is already ripping Kinoe out of the chair. He grabs the boy’s hand and they are running out of the room and back down the maze of hallways. They are submerged into a deep blue and streaks of white from the glowing moon. 

Kakashi tightens his grip on the boy’s hand, not daring to let him go. Danzō’s Anbu appear around almost every single corner as they scramble to the front. Kunai are flying and whizzing past them, causing the both of them to pick up the pace. They finally make it out to the bridge, but the copy ninja’s fears came true. They are surrounded from everywhere. There is no escape. 

“Lord Danzō, Kakashi is-” Kinoe tries to explain but is immediately cut off.

“Silence!” It is too late for explanations, the man made it clear. Kakashi feels Kinoe hold tighter onto his hand. The ability to take all of these Anbu on is a complete long shot and trying to escape also sounds just as implausible, but he needs to do something. He is not going to lose Kinoe. Not this time. Not ever. 

“I’m staying with Kakashi!” Kinoe shouts, catching Danzō and some of the Anbu off guard.

“Why!?” Danzō yells angrily, but Kinoe does not waver. His confidence building with every second. Kakashi is not the only one not willing to back down. It is them against the world right now, and nothing is going to stop them.

“Because he is my soulmate!” The boy is louder now, causing his voice to echo around them.

“Soulmates don’t exist! That’s just a lie!” 

“You’re wrong!”

“I’m not! Kinoe, what has Kakashi put in your head!?”

“That’s enough.” Hiruzen drops down next to Danzō and everyone stills. Kakashi looks up and see more Anbu are here, but they are not of the Foundation. He feels his body finally relax for the first time today. He nearly drops to his knees as relief flows through him. They are okay. They are saved, and he cannot be any happier than he already is. He nearly misses the entire discussion between the Third Hokage and Lord Danzō, but he catches the last part. “I now receive him into my care. Henceforth, you will be an Anbu under my direct orders.”

Kakashi releases his hand from Kinoe’s to grip his shoulder reassuringly. He could tell the boy is shocked, but he smiles at his touch. The brunette walks forward and bows in front of Danzō. “Thank you for everything.” He straightens back up and runs to where he was previously standing. But this time, he embraces the silver haired boy pulling him into a hug. Kakashi instinctively wraps his arms around Kinoe, and the world suddenly feels fuller. No more tints or accents to colors, this is the real deal. Even his memories have escaped the monochrome life he has lived, as if he has known this boy his whole life and stood by him since the beginning of time. He never wants to let go of this, and he knows he never will. He will protect his soulmate for the rest of life. 

“Kakashi,” Danzō speaks, snapping both of the boy’s out of their trance. “Take care of him.”

“Of course.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, finished. I honestly planned to finish this after Speechless, but this chapter was so close to being done that I couldn't help myself. Colorful World is complete, hope you guys enjoy.

**Author's Note:**

> I am trying to keep it similar to the Kakashi anbu arc, and it should be over next chapter.


End file.
